Sign Up for Our Amazing Newsletter!
A daily update by email. Science news, great photos, sky alerts.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Posts by
EarthSky Voices
Why you can smell rain
What you're smelling is petrichor – a pleasant, earthy scent that accompanies a storm's first raindrops. A weather expert explains where it comes from.
September 2, 2018
How a volcano helped defeat Napoleon at Waterloo
In June 1815, the Allied army defeated Napoleon’s army at Waterloo. An Indonesian volcano helped, says a scientist at Imperial College London.
August 29, 2018
Why are some species more likely to go extinct?
Death is inevitable for individuals and also for species. With help from the fossil record, paleontologists are piecing together what might make one creature more vulnerable than another.
August 26, 2018
What are rare earth elements?
Most of us use rare earth elements every day – without knowing it. These little-known and fascinating elements make modern electronics possible.
August 21, 2018
We’re guinea pigs in global microplastic experiment
Microplastics are everywhere - in our water, soil, and even the air we breathe. The consequences of this exposure on human health is unknown.
August 19, 2018
What’s causing Florida’s algae crisis? 5 questions answered
Red tides and a blue-green algae outbreak are fouling hundreds of miles of coast, killing fish and driving tourists from beaches. Some causes are natural, but human actions also play a role.
August 15, 2018
The unique elephant brain
Today is World Elephant Day. Here's a look at how unique brain structures - different from those of any other mammal - are responsible for elephants' special abilities in learning and memory.
August 12, 2018
How NASA will shield solar probe from crazy heat
The Parker Solar Probe, expected to launch Saturday, will get closer to the sun than any spacecraft in human history. How will the spacecraft withstand the heat?
August 10, 2018
Think sharks are coolest ocean predators? Consider mantis shrimps
Do sharks have bullet-like strikes? Do they have super-vision? Can they take down prey in milliseconds? Mantis shrimps have these abilities - and more - to make them among the world’s most impressive predators.
August 6, 2018
Wolf-Rayets are hot, massive, bright stars
Wolf-Rayet stars make our sun look tiny. They can be hundreds of times more massive, millions of times brighter, and tens of thousands of degrees hotter.
August 3, 2018
